Arctic Biodiversity Trends 2010: Indicator #18, Reindeer Herding

Reindeer, Rangifer tarandus L., is an animal with a circumpolar distribution that has been a key component of Eurasian high latitude ecosystems for at least two million years. Interactions with humans date from the late Pleistocene onward, and both wild and semi-domestic animals continue to be highly valued by aboriginal and non-native peoples for a diversity of purposes. The most productive semi-domestic herds occur in the Sápmi homeland of northern Fennoscandia and the Nenets regions of northwest Russia straddling the Ural Mountains.

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Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna

"to address the conservation of Arctic biodiversity, and to communicate its findings to the governments and residents of the Arctic, helping to promote practices which ensure the sustainability of the Arctic’s living resources."